From increased fees to misuse of funds, the shame of Alliance Girls

One of Kenya’s most prestigious schools, Alliance Girls High School, is at the centre of a storm over what the government and parents describe as inflated fees, illegal levies and questionable financial practices.

The controversy follows a damning investigative report by the Ministry of Education that has exposed systemic financial mismanagement and exploitation of parents by the school’s Board of Management (BOM) and administration.

In a letter dated April 29, 2026, addressed to Central Region Director of Education Sabina Aroni, Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba revealed that the school had adopted an unauthorised fee structure that more than doubled the government-approved amount.

“As you would note, the report indicates inter alia… the board of management approved the financial year 2025/2026 budget with the 2026 fees structure set at Sh120,179 exceeding the government approved amount of Sh53,554,” Ogamba said.

The Alliance Girls saga has become emblem of a broader crisis in the education sector, where hidden levies and inflated costs are increasingly locking out ordinary families.

The findings have shocked many, given the school’s long-standing reputation for academic excellence. Founded in 1948, Alliance Girls has consistently ranked among Kenya’s top-performing national schools, producing influential alumni in leadership, academia, and business.

But beneath that reputation, the ministry says, lies a pattern of financial decisions that have unfairly burdened parents. According to the report, the inflated fees were driven by what the CS described as “non-essential and unrealistic expenditures.”

These include Sh16 million allocated for annual trips, Sh13 million for prize-giving ceremonies, Sh5 million for vouchers and examiners, and Sh3 million for airtime and administrative allowances. Even moral and spiritual activities were allocated Sh1.1 million.

“The approved budget has non-essential and unrealistic expenditures… contributing to the inflated school fees,” Ogamba noted.

More troubling, however, are allegations that the school has devised additional ways of extracting money from parents beyond the official fees.

Parents say the school has introduced a raft of hidden charges, including so-called “motivation fees” for teachers, development levies, charges for reams of paper, co-curricular activities, and frequent school trips costs that are not clearly outlined in official fee structures but are nonetheless enforced.

“Away from the official fees, we are also being asked to pay Sh55,000 per student as motivation fees and another Sh6,000 for development. When you add everything, the cost becomes unbearable,” said one parent.

With a student population of about 2,600, parents argue that such levies generate Sh143 million outside government oversight. Frustration among parents is evident in their exchanges, where many accuse the school leadership of making unilateral decisions without consultation.

“The fee increment decision was arrived at by the board after inspecting the facilities… and there is no going back. But we were never involved in that decision-making process,” one parent recounted after a meeting with school officials.

Others have questioned justification for the increased fees, particularly in light of stalled projects they have been contributing to for years. “I told them we are already suffering, and we contributed to the chemistry lab which is not ready. Times are difficult. No parent has arrears because they want to,” another parent said.

Some parents raised concerns about procurement inefficiencies, including delays in the supply of school uniforms, suggesting deeper systemic issues in the school’s operations.

“The prolonged delays in uniforms have frustrated parents. If a single vendor is overwhelmed, why not change or split the orders?” one parent posed.

The ministry’s report also highlights what it describes as outright misuse of funds. In one instance, the BOM approved a Sh25 million budget for a five-day staff trip to Dubai, with the school management tasked with finding ways to bridge a Sh13 million shortfall.

“The board of management failed its duty to guide on prudent management of financial resources,” Ogamba said, citing the trip as a glaring example of misplaced priorities.

In a separate letter to Teachers Service Commission CEO Evaleen Mitei, the CS  recommended disciplinary action against the school’s principal, Margaret Njeru, accusing her of presiding over the implementation of the fees structure.

“The unauthorised fees structure was imposed without the approval of the CS education as by law required and is therefore contrary to section 29(2)(b) of the Basic Education Act 2013,” Ogamba said.

He added that the principal “facilitated the adoption and implementation of a budget containing non-essential and unrealistic expenditure items.”

The ministry has since recommended dissolution of the Board, signaling a firm stance against what it sees as exploitation of parents.

The situation has also raised questions about the justification for the school’s infrastructure expansion plans, which have been partly cited as the reason for increased fees.

During a visit to Alliance High School earlier this year, President William Ruto pledged Sh295 million in government funding to support infrastructure development, including dormitories, classrooms, and completion of a science complex.

“The girls are here asking for a dormitory and the ministry is going to build Sh155 million 640 girls. Asked for 10 classes to 24 classes  at Sh40 millions. The science complex is half way done at 200 million and half has been spent. The ministry of public works is going to spend Sh100 million to complete it,” said Ruto.

“As we develop this infrastructure, we are doing it because the education of children is central to our transformation and progress as a society.” 

Parents now question why they are being asked to shoulder additional financial burdens despite such commitments.

“The enrollment expansion was a government decision, yet we are the ones being forced to carry the burden,” one parent lamented.